Aaron Judge on the Verge of Home Run History: How Close Is He to Breaking the MLB Record?

Aaron Judge had a record-setting season at the plate two years ago, and he’s somehow been even better in 2024.

The New York Yankees captain is on a historic home run pace this season. He crushed two dingers against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday to bring his season total to 51, nine more than second-place Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Judge is on pace to surpass the 60-homer mark for the second time in three seasons. He set a new American League record with his 62 home runs in 2022, one more than Yankees legend Roger Maris’ 61 from the 1961 season, and could very well set a new record over the final month of the regular season.

While Judge has more AL history in his sights, he has a long way to go to reach the top of the home run record books.

Here is a look at where Judge stacks up against other historic sluggers for the most home runs in an MLB season

Most home runs in an MLB season

Barry Bonds holds the record for most home runs in an MLB season. The MLB all-time home run leader smashed 73 home runs in 2001 with the San Francisco Giants, breaking Mark McGwire’s mark of 70 from the 1998 season.

McGwire and Sammy Sosa competed in a historic home run race in 1998. McGwire was the first of the two to surpass Maris’ 61-homer mark, which was the MLB record at the time, and he finished with 70 on the season. Sosa’s 66 were second all-time for an MLB season until Bonds hit his 73 in 2001.

Here is a look at the players with the most single-season homers in MLB history:

1. Barry Bonds, 2001: 73

2. Mark McGwire, 1998: 70

3. Sammy Sosa, 1998: 66

4. Mark McGwire, 1999: 65

5. Sammy Sosa, 2001: 64

6. Sammy Sosa, 1999: 63

7. Aaron Judge, 2022: 62

8. Roger Maris, 1961: 61

9. Babe Ruth, 1927: 60

T-10. Babe Ruth, 1921: 59

T-10. Giancarlo Stanton, 2017: 59

Most home runs in MLB history

Judge isn’t even halfway to Bonds when it comes to all-time home runs. The Yankees slugger has hit 308 dingers in his career, a whopping 454 shy of Bonds’ MLB record for homers.

Bonds is joined by Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Albert Pujols on the home run Mount Rushmore, as they are the only four players in MLB history to eclipse 700 homers.

Here is where Bonds stacks up against the rest of the top 10 for home runs in MLB history:

1. Barry Bonds: 762

2. Hank Aaron: 755

3. Babe Ruth: 714

4. Albert Pujols: 703

5. Alex Rodriguez: 696

6. Willie Mays: 660

7. Ken Griffey Jr.: 630

8. Jim Thome: 612

9. Sammy Sosa: 609

10. Frank Robinson: 586